Photographic cartridge



March 9 1926.

1,575,804 H. E. VAN DEW-IOFF4 PHOTOGRAPHIG CARTRIDGE Filed March 2, 1925 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED .SSTA'IELSy PATENT oFFlcla..A

HENRY E. VAN DERI-IOEF, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN k:KODAK COMPANY, F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. i

PHOTOGRAPHIC CARTRIDGE.

Application filed March 2, 1925.

T 0 @ZZ 'whom t may concer/w.'

Be it known that I, HENRY E. VAN Dn,- Honr, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvcments in Photographie Cartridges, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact speciiication.

This invention relates to photography and more particularly to photographic cartridges. One object of the invention is to provide in such cartridges a protecting covering for the sensitizing strip or film which will not only be spaced from the sensitized face thereof, but will seal the space thus former-[between the film and said covering. Another object of the invention is to provide a cartridge in which the sensitive surface of the film is protected against mechanical injury without exposing it to injury from atmospheric causes. Other oloiects will hereinafter appear.

This application is a continuation in part r of my application for photographic cartridge, Serial No. 735,428, filed Sept. 2, 1924.

In photographic film cartridges which comprise convolutions of a photographically sensitized strip, and a strip of protective material wound together, usually upon a flanged spool, there is difficulty in preventing the protective strip from marring the sensitized coating, especially after long periods'ofl storage under adverse conditions Suchv marring usually consists of mottled spots or `streaks appearing after development in the images produced on the strip. I have found that this trouble may be' avoided or greatly lessened by spacing the protective strip from the sensitized strip,--that is, holding it out of deleterious contact with the parts of the sensitized strip in which the pictures are to be produced. But I have also found that the spaces between the sensitized strip and the protective strip, formed by such spacing, permit too easy access of air unless some sealing means is employed. I, therefore, have found that photographic cartridges of increased durability and freedom from marring may be produced by combining therein means for spacing the protective strip from the sensitized strip and means for sealing the spaces thus formed. Referring now to the drawings wherein Serial No. 12,710.

like reference characters denote like parts throughout,-

Fig. l is a perspective view of a partially unwound film cartridge showing one form of my invention, with the protective strip and sensitized strip cut off Fig. 2 is a plan view of aprotective strip constructed in accordance with one embodiment of my invention;

' Figf is a View similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail View, on an enlarged scale, of an edge of a protective strip, showing in exaggerated size, my spacing and sealing elements;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the relation of' the spaced protective strip to the film strip and to-the flanges ofthe spool,

My invention may be carried out in different ways, several of which will be described las examples. But the invention is not limited to the illustrated forms, except as indicated in the appended claims. Since my invention is especially useful when applied to the usual roh film cartridges, such application will be described by way of eX- ample.

- These cartridges in most instances have the sensitized strip or film in the form of a layer or sensitive emulsion on one surface of a iexible transparent support,-generalvly a nitrocellulose or.acetyl-cellulose strip,

and often having-a plain gelatin layer on its other face. But, of course, the emulsion could be coated on both faces, or a porous base could be iinpreunated with it or be otherwise sensitized. zMoreover, the support for the emulsion may be of any other suitable sheet material, for instance, paper. These alternatives are well known in the art.

Such cartridges usually have a protective strip 'of paper, but other suitable materials, like cellulosic sheets, can be used. This paper'is usually very opaque, as in the case of duplex paper composed of red and black laye-rs bondedtogether, or else is partially opaque in a single layer, the latter form being, however, thoroughly opaque to ac tinie rays when several layers or convolutions of it are superposed. v :Thesensitized film strip and protectlve paper strip are customarily intel-Wound on a flanged cylindrical spool. I prefer to use this form because the positive spacing tendency of the protective strip, by reason of its thickened portions, is especially reliable underthese circumstances. The curved form 'stiffens each convolution against buckling into contact with the adjacent but spaced convolutions. Moreover, the flanges on the spool enable the sealing means on the protective strip to function with especial thoroughness.

Referring to the illustrative embodiments of my invention in the drawing, there is shown 'such a spool having a core l carrying flanges 2 between which convolutions of film 3 and protective paper-fare wound. The stri-p or film 3 may be, as shown, of the usual type, somewhat wider than the picture area defined by the bellows frame of the camera in which it is used. The result is indicated in Fig. l, by dashed lines. Pic-- ture areas 5 surrounded by marginal unexposed portions 6 and unexposed cross stripsI 7 are produced by the usual photographic operations.. Portions T 'separate exposed or picture areas 5.

The protective paper 4 of the usual kind is provided in accordance with my invention with thickened portions 8, so located that they will touch a sensitized face of the film strip only outside of pic-ture areas 5. They may extend, for instance, throughout the length of that portion of the strip which will carry the film, as in Fig. 2. Or they may extend throughout the entire margins of the paper strip 4, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The thickened margins 8 can be produced in any of many suitable ways. Preferably they are made by rolling the margins of the strip between suitable dies or rollers which deform the paper so that the thickened portion will extend above at least one and preferably two faces of the paper base, as shown in Fig. 5. I have found diamond-shaped knurls, as indicated at 9 in Fig. 4, to be veryconvenient. These are diamond-shaped when looked at at right angles to the plane of the paper and are V or U-shaped in section, as indicated in Fig. 5. These knurls 'so effectively thicken the margins of the paper that .they do not harmfully flatten out` even vwhen the convolutions of the film and paper are wound or cinched on the spool with a force much greater than that applied in normal manufacture or use. They, therefore, continue to perform their spacing function even if the cartridge is abused by applyingexcessive winding forces to it.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the fihn 3 has a sensitive coating 30 on one side thereof,

which is protected from deleterious contact with the backing paper 4 by the thickencd edges 8, which prevent the medial portion of paper 4 from contacting or exerting harmful pressure upon it. Only the margins 6, which are outside of the exposure areas, touch the paper along the thickened margins. l

From an inspection of Fig. '5 and from the description hereinabove given, it will be clear that voids or spaces exist between the convolutions of the cartridge. lVhile my thickened edges tend to prevent mechanical injury to the sensitized surface, they would make it much more vulnerable to atmospheric attack if I did not provide a sealing means to prevent access to the voids or spaces from the outer air. In localities where' the air is warm and moist or contains fog-inducing gases, the 'sensitized coating deteriorates rapidily if such air has ready access to it. In the usual film cartridges there are spaces between the flanges 2 and the edges of the film. and backing paper due to manufartllring tolerances. These spaces. although very small, permit air to spread. inward along the inner faces of the flanges 2. When my nlarginal thickenings or knurlings are used in cartridges having such customary manufacturing tolerances, these spaces along the flanges connect with the spaces between the convolutions. The resulting access or connect-ion between the outer air and the sensitive coating 30 should, therefore, be prevented.

This prevention is accomplished by a suitable scaling means. One form of such a means is shown at45. It may comprise, 'for example, a springy edge along the protective paper strip 4, said edge being taperedoff or chamfered, shown in Fig. 5, and the width of the protective strip 4 being greater than the distance between the flanges 2. This springy edge or sealing means may likewise include longitudinal corrugations, but a simple tapered-off or chamfered edge is ordinarily sufficient. When the convolutions are wound on the spool these springy edges 45 tend to push against and remain in contact with the flanges 2, as indicated by the arrows A in Fig. 5. They then act as a very effective seal for preventing air moving along the faces of flanges 2 into the spaces 42. Of course, these springy edges also have the additional function of lightsealing the cartridge. Not only is air prevented from entering along the faces of flanges 2 and thence amongst the convolutions, but light is also kept from the same path.

7h-ile I prefer to keep the picture areas of the sensitized surface 30 from touching the protecting strip 4 at all, it will be evident that considerable benefit can be obtained when the thickened portions 8 are not high enough to prevent contact entirely but have such a spacing tendency, that the contact or pressure is very light. The

thickness of the margins S ot the protective `strip can, therefore, vary over a considerable range. A thickness at the .margins of strip ll, which is double the thickness of it elsewhere, a useful example within this range.

By avoiding completely mottle and atmospheric fog or lessening them within au aeeeptable tolerance, the time during which the cartridge will keep can be increased to an important extent, or its factor of safety against adverse keeping conditions can be increased.. Or the specification for paper for the protective strip can be lessened in stringency where contact is avoided by my invention.

While the harmful effects or mottle which occur when the protective strip touches the sensitive surface in the usual cartridge may be due to mechanical action or to moisture in or absorbed by the paper and transferred to said surface in some spots more than others, I do not wish to be limited by such theories. The benefits of my invention are obtained regardless of a knowledge of the exa-ct adverse influences which are overcome.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A photographic roll film cartridge camprising a flanged spool, a strip of film, at least one face of which bears a light,- sensitive coating, a strip of protecting` backing material, said strips being coiled on said spool between said flanges, with said backing material between the convolutions of the film, the margins of said backing material being thickened to hold said material from deleterious contact with said coating, and sealing means in contact with said flanges at t-he margins of said protective material, said margins remaining thickened to prevent said deleterious contact throuvhout the stresses applied to the backing during manufacture and use.

A photographic roll film cartridge comprising a flanged spool, a strip of film, at least one face of which is coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, a strip 0f protecting` backing paper, said strips being coiled on said spool between the flanges with said paper between the eonvolutions of said film, the margins of said paper having raised port-ions whichengage the margins of said coated face of the film and hold the unraised portion of the paper out of deleterious contact with said emulsion, the margins of said paper being fashioned to keep in sealing contact with said flanges, said marginal raised portions remaining raised to prevent said deleterious contact during the applica-l tion of stresses to facture and use.

3. A photographic roll film cartridge comprising a spool with protecting flanges, a strip of film coated on at least one face with a light-sensitive emulsion, a strip of protecting backing paper, said strips being coiledon said spool between the flanges with said paper between the convolutions of said film, the margins of said paper having raised portions formed up from the paper, which engage the margins of said coated face of the film and hold the unraised portion of the paper out of deleterious contact with said emulsion, the margins of said paper being` shaped and located to spring into sealing Contact with said flanges, and said marginal raised portions, remaining raised to prevent said deleterious contact during tension which is applied to the paper during manufacture and use.r

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 24th day of February, 1925.

HENRY E. VAN DERI-IOEF.

said paper during manu- 

